Episode 5: Flexible work in practice: opening up opportunities | Challenge Poverty Week 2026
Released ahead of Fair Work day, during Challenge Poverty Week. 37% of out-of-work parents in Scotland tell us that access to flexible working would enable them to work when previously that wasn't possible, so the question isn't only whether people can find work, but whether that work pays properly and fits around their lives.
In episode five of The F Word, Lisa and Nikki are joined by Graham Robertson, Chief Executive of WorkingRite, a Scottish charity supporting 250 to 300 young people a year to access, sustain and progress in work, and one of the first organisations to gain Flexibility Works accreditation.
Graham talks about what flexible working actually looks like in an organisation where some staff are in schools, some are on the road and some are at a desk: a seven till seven working window, condensed hours, four-day weeks, and wellbeing days he made a point of taking first himself. He's honest and clear that for some of his team flexibility is the difference between being able to work and not.
In this episode:— What flexible working looks like day to day across very different roles— Wellbeing days, and why the chief exec took the first one— Why trust builds when you give people choice from the outset— The link between fair work, flexibility and poverty— What employers risk if they don't offer flexibility— Building a flexible culture on instinct, and what happens when you outgrow it
Find out more about WorkingRite at Working RiteListen to all our episodes at The F Word Podcast - Flexible Working Podcast - Flexibility Works
24 Sept 2026
Why Flexible Working Matters (Plus Your Toughest Employer Questions Answered)
Why does flexible working matter, and what should employers do when the tricky questions come up?
In this episode, Flexibility Works co-founders Lisa Gallagher and Nikki Slowey talk about how flexible working helps people balance work with family life, caring responsibilities, health and wellbeing. They explore how flexibility can boost loyalty, reduce stress and burnout, improve retention, and open the door to talented people who might otherwise be shut out of the workforce. Flexible working isn't one fixed arrangement: it looks different for different people and can change as life changes.
Then it's time for the Question Bag, where Hannah answers some of the most common questions we hear from employers:
What should a manager do before refusing a flexible working request?
If you say yes to one person, do you have to say yes to everyone?
What if you suspect someone isn't working when they're remote?
How can people working flexibly stay visible for promotion?
We finish by tackling proximity bias: can leaders change their assumptions about flexible and hybrid workers, and what does it take to reward, promote and include people who aren't always in the room?
Find out more about flexible working and how we can help your organisation at Flexible Working Experts - Training & Support - Flexibility Works
28 Jul 2026
Questions We Get Asked: What employers ask about flexible working
Lisa, Nikki and Hannah chat through the questions employers ask most about flexible working: will it "open the floodgates," how can frontline staff work flexibly, how do you design hybrid working properly, and how can managers feel confident supporting requests?
1 Jul 2026
Small Changes, Big Impact: A Live Employer Panel
Recorded live at the Flexibility Works Summit, this episode brings you a full panel discussion with four Scottish employers who've made flexible working actually work in their businesses- not in theory, but in daily practice, across very different industries and constraints.
Facilitated by Sarah Jackson OBE, the panel features:
🔹 Linda McCall, Co-Owner & Financial Director, Alba Facilities Services. On introducing a permanent four-day week and the impact on staff turnover and business performance
🔹 Hayden Feeney, HR Director, Centrica. On building a flexibility framework across 22,000 colleagues, rooted in leadership sponsorship rather than rigid policy
🔹 Jeanette McAllister, Owner & Managing Director, McAllister Litho. On making flexibility work on a factory floor, where the work itself can't move
🔹 Stephen Curry, Managing Director, R&W Scott. On a multi-year journey from a traditional 40-hour week to flexible arrangements that improved both morale and profitability
The conversation closes with Sarah's "three magic ingredients" for making flexibility work, a simple framework any leader can take away and apply.
This episode also includes a live audience Q&A, with real questions from employers and HR leaders navigating their own flexibility journeys.
Whether you're just starting out or already flexible and looking to go further, this episode offers honest, practical insight from people who've actually done it.
20 Mar 2026
Ep 4: Can flexible working really work in childcare?
With Susan McGhee, CEO, Flexible Childcare Services Scotland
20 Mar 2026
Ep 3: Can flexible working really work in manufacturing?
With Mark Cowan, HR Director, Scottish Leather Group
6 Oct 2025
Ep 2: : Flex for competitive advantage at IT firm Quorum
Flexible working isn’t just a post-pandemic fad, it’s here to stay. And the employers that embrace it are seeing real benefits: happier teams, better recruitment, and stronger businesses.
Join Nikki Slowey and Lisa Gallagher, co-founders of social business Flexibility Works, as they chat to Andrew Watson, co-founder and MD of IT consultancy Quorum Network Resources, about how flexible working has helped the company recruit talented staff with big tech company experience.
18 Sept 2025
Ep 1: Flexibility Works' story and flex trends for 2025
Flexible working isn’t just a post-pandemic fad, it’s here to stay. And the employers that embrace it are seeing real benefits: happier teams, better recruitment, and stronger businesses.
Join Nikki Slowey and Lisa Gallagher, co-founders of social business Flexibility Works, as they dive into the world of flex. Expect fresh insights, juicy data, and honest conversations with employers that are doing flexible working brilliantly (and who will admit when it’s not all be plain sailing).
Whether you’re an employer that wants to stay ahead of the curve, or a people manager ready to spark change from the inside, this podcast is for you.
NB – now we’ve got you enthused for all things flex, we’d also like to manage your expectations (!) by telling you we’ve recorded two trial episodes that we released as part of Flexibility Works’ five-year anniversary celebrations in August 2025. If you like these episodes – PLEASE TELL US! And we’ll very happily make some more.
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flexibilityworks/
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